Munich has one of the best city parks in the world. Englisher Garten is a lot like Central Park with a better stream running through it ... and swans. Munich, however, is tone deaf. In the park I heard an umpah band. I've heard better in Poulsbo from the local Polka Club. Near the Viktualienmarkt (farmers' market) a jazz band had a trumpeter who could give Seattle's Richard Peterson (world's worst trumpet player) a run for his coins. The main tourist attraction at 11am, noon and 5pm is the Glockenspiel (clock and carillon) in the Neus Rathaus (New City Hall). The carillon is badly tuned and notes are clunked short, it is painful to listen. Munich should be embarrassed for its ears.
In Munich, the eyes have a feast. While not as beautiful as many European cities, it has its bright spots. The Englisher Garten being one. The blue silt laden stream starts out as rushing rapids you wouldn't want to fall into at the south end of the park, and gradually slows down until it arrives at the swan filled lake in the north. Wide hard packed trails meander throughout the park with occasional large open patches of lush green grass. A great place to relax.
Viktualienmarkt has some of the most colorful fruit and veggie stands I can recall. In the middle is a town pole and it is back dropped by historic buildings.
If the carillon sounded decent, watching the trice a day antics of the Glockenspiel would be fun instead of a tourist necessary chore. Life-sized figures go around and on the second pass, one of the jousters is knocked back on his horse. The crowd ooohs!
Many riders plan everything around getting to big cities early. I spend a lot of these updates talking about the cities. But, it's the countrysides that I prefer to ooh and aah about during the day. But, it's harder to convey the joy I have on a good day of riding. To many, cycling seems as brainless as fishing. It doesn't require a lot of concentration. I often play songs in my head while riding. When the day is not going particularly well, to take my mind off the rain or whatever, I'll resort to playing a movie in my head - usually Casablanca or Ruggles of Red Gap.
Before Odyssey2000�, most of the riders assumed they would finish the year in the best shape of their lives. Very few people have lost much weight; some have actually gained some flab. Some haven't lost weight because they are not riding. Others because their bodies have gotten used to cycling 80 miles a day and eating too many calories. It's hard to turn down the food at breakfast and dinner. While some complain about the occasional not very good meal, every meal has been good enough to get the nourishment needed to ride. Sometimes, meals can be outstanding. Then it's really hard to keep the calorie consumption down. I've lost some weight, more than most, but not near what I thought I would have lost. My legs are capable of longer harder miles, but I'm not much faster. I'll have to have physical therapy in Seattle on my shoulder to restore full range of motion, thus allowing me to do things like play volleyball, shoot baskets, or throw a ball overhand. In the last 70 days I've ridden almost 6600km with a week off recently when Odyssey had time off the bike in Helsinki, St. Petersburg and Berlin. I probably won't be in the shape I dreamed about, but I will be proud of what I've done in my summer of biking in Europe.
Happy Trails,
Bruce